Logan Brill’s ‘Shuteye’ is the Masterful Album for Those Seeking More

logan brill shuteye

“Until the spark catches, you’ve gotta keep on striking matches ’til you find the one that burns,” Logan Brill sings on her expansive sophomore album Shuteye. If the sentiment extends beyond Brill’s romantic intentions, it’s safe to say that Shuteye is a caught spark, a masterpiece of strength, intellect, and musical prowess in a ten-song array. For those that are frustrated with the simple themes and basic relatability of many recent radio releases, Shuteye is for you.

Brill leads the album with the title track, a jaunty and blues-filled song that slides out of the saloon at the edge of town and dances away, just out of reach. “Oh me, oh my, 24/7 day and night / oh me, oh my, it’s my favorite alibi / sweet thing won’t let me get no shuteye,” she sings on the chorus, a smooth and suggestive commitment to an all-or-nothing ride. It’s the sonic shiver of jumping into a pool on a stifling day – a little jarring, a little invigorating, and something you’ll get out of the pool to do again.

It’s not Brill’s only brash moment on the album. “Don’t Pick It Up” is a warning: “If I dial your number baby please
/ Don’t pick it up, there’s no tellin’ what I’d say / Just let it ring, yeah just let the voicemail play / Don’t say hello, then I’ll know, that door is closed and window’s shut / Don’t pick it up, don’t pick it up, don’t pick it up,” she cautions. In a mellower world it would read as unmasked vulnerability, but paired with the bluesy swing of the instrumentals, it’s bold and unapologetic.

For the most, however, Brill simmers, marked by a strength and wisdom that seeps through her sultry vocals and well-chosen words. “I’m on a white line runnin’ down the interstate / Tryin’ to wipe away the rain that’s runnin’ down my face / Goin’ any old ware, any old place, just some place else,” she sings on “Far Cry From You.”

It’s a subtle grit that resonates in artists like Lee Ann Womack – there’s no weakness in her vulnerability, no bravado in her assuredness. “Far Cry From You,” a masterfully written ode to leaving, is emotional in its delivery, factual in its presentation, and emotionally interpreted by the listener. It’s a quality seen in songs by writers like Gretchen Peters – the simultaneous ability to feel a situation and evaluate it from afar, to be lost in its depth while understanding it as if by a stranger.

At times, it’s even tongue-in-cheek; “Time moves on, gravity pulls down / You don’t love me, and the world’s still round,” Brill sings on “World Still Round,” one of the two she had a hand in writing on the album.

Though just 25, Brill’s songs exhibit a certain agelessness. Brill confronts the end of a long life on “Where Rainbows Never Die,” followed by “Halfway Home,” the sonic accompaniment to the 4am drive from a man’s house it describes. “Halfway Home” is perhaps the most emotionally raw of the tracks on Shuteye, with lines like, “Tell yourself you’re still strong / Wondering what’s so damn wrong / With needing someone.” Even so, there’s an awareness of greater wisdom admidst the search for answers: “Calling the dreaming girls looking for a savior / He ain’t gonna save ya, that’s just what you think his eyes say / Deep down you know that you’re worth more than this.” “Right now you’re just halfway home,” she sings. It’s a place we’ve all been: the midpoint between knowing something on paper and accepting it as truth in your soul.

Brill is joined by some incredible colleagues on Shuteye; David Nail joins her for the reminiscent “The Woman on Your Mind,” and Charlie Worsham ends the album with her on “I Wish You Loved Me.” Nail’s in particular shines as a feature, with the production letting both expressive vocals breathe.

With Shuteye, Brill solidifies herself as one of the most interesting up-and-coming artists in country, with songs that click at a cursory listen and offer a wealth of deeper connection. It’s an album that you’ll return to, again and again.

Take a listen below, and grab Shuteye on iTunes.

Track listing:

1) Shuteye – Ryan Tyndell, Bryan Simpson
2) World Still Round – Logan Brill, Scooter Carusoe
3) The Woman On Your Mind – Mando Saenz, Neil Coty
4) Don’t Pick It Up – Brent Cobb, Neil Medley
5) Far Cry From You – Tony Lane, Jess Brown, Robin English
6) The Bees – Natalie Hemby, Daniel Tashian
7) Where Rainbows Never Die – Chris Stapleton, Mike Henderson
8) Halfway Home – Lori McKenna, Barry Dean
9) Tupelo – Logan Brill, Trevor Thornton
10) I Wish You Loved Me – Don Schlitz, Jordyn Shellhart

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *